At its heart, Oracle Database is a relational database management system (RDBMS). This means it organizes data into tables, with rows and columns, and uses structured query language (SQL) for data definition, manipulation, and retrieval. It strictly adheres to the principles of the relational model, ensuring data integrity, consistency, and reliability.
Early Days (1977-1980s): Founded as Software Development Laboratories (SDL) in 1977 by Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates, the company aimed to develop a commercial RDBMS based on Edgar F. Codd's relational model. The first commercial version, Oracle Version 2, was released in 1979, notable for being the first to run on a PDP-11 minicomputer and to use SQL. The company netherlands phone number list was later renamed Oracle Corporation in 1982, after its flagship product. Early innovations included multi-user access with locking mechanisms and concurrent read/write capabilities.
Client/Server Era (1990s): Oracle rapidly gained prominence with the rise of client/server architectures. Versions like Oracle7 introduced features like PL/SQL (Procedural Language/SQL), stored procedures, triggers, and comprehensive backup/recovery mechanisms (RMAN - Recovery Manager), solidifying its position as a robust enterprise solution. It embraced portability, running on numerous operating systems and hardware platforms.